Sanitary attachment for telephone mouthpieces



I ma 6, 1930'. Y RROCA 1,757,781

SANITARY ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONE MOUTHPIECES Filed May 14, l929 awuemto'c B'elro Hood:

Patented May 6, 1930 1' UNITED STA ES rinmno noon; onrnusmneynnw YORK sAnrr RY ATTACHMENT ron "TELEPHONE vrou'rrrrrnons Application filed' -May 14,

This invention relates to improvements in v sanitary attachments fortelephone mouth- 7 pieces-and its primaryobject is to provide a simpleand'relatively inexpensive device'provided with means which make it possible to V attach the device to 'mouthpieces of various diameters, such as are used in telephones of the ordinary type, telephones of the bracket type and all kinds of speaking tubes for house 1Q telephones and the'like.

Another obj ect of this invention is toprovide a relatively inexpensive device adapted to be'made from a single blank h'avingmeans for quickly attaching it to a telephone mouthpiece andvmeans for retainin a capsuleof a phones and like apparatus are eliminated. j

A further objectis-to provide a device of the characterospecified adaptedto-be held within the mouthpiece of a telephone or like instrument,- withoutinterfering with the operation thereof.

other objects and advantages of the .pres{ ent invention. will more-fully appear" as the description proceeds and will be set forth and claimed in the appended claims,

My invention. is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which; 7 a

Fig. 1 is a side sectional .viewof} atelephone mouthpiece equippedwith my evice; "Fig. 2is a-frontelevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a view in perspective ofja blank from which vmy improved device may be formed;and i- Fig. 4 is view in perspective ofa disin-v fectant capsule orca-rtridge adapted to be used in connection therewith. e V It is well'known that-telephone mouth:

booths where a i great numberof people use the sameitelep'hoiie at frequent intervals. It is therefore desirable to provide some sort of protection against the dangers arisvice should be designed so asnot to interfere 0f the telephone-instrument v V r l V A-Referrjing'to the drawings, 10, designates v disinfectant material, .Wherey the dangers of germs due to the promiscuous use of tele-ll stances. 1

1929." SerialNo. 362,995.

with the proper receptionofithesound 'vibrations' bygth'e telephone instrument;: 7 I

I am; aware that various devices have been developedwith the aim of protecting thetelephone user againstinfection, but I .have-al-- Ways} found that the usefulness of these devices was seriously curtailed due totheir'eonstruction causing interference e l-transmission of sound. 1 The present;:invention answers all -pr actical requirements froma sanitaryand eco with the propnomi'cal standpoint and at-the same time does not in the least interfere with the operation itself. i-

a capsule orcartridgeilG-which is made of disinfecting material of a suitable-consistency. Fornstance, the capsule may cons st ofoamphor ornaphthalene mixedwithcreosote or other suchsubstance or mixture of .sub-

Theidevice may be ciIla dein the form of a blank -17 such asfillustrated inl ig. 3, said blank comprising a plurality of relatively long. radially, extendingarms 13 and J'a-pluo vralit of relativel short arms or 'ron s 15 pleces are potentialcarrlers ofdisease andy y p t? infection; especially in the-case of public 16 radially extending the'reloetween.v

. The blank" is made out of I-relatively' light gauge metal,jsoft and easily; bendable so that the long arms can be bentjforwardlyat their point of attachment to the central body'l'por- "tio n'of the'device as shown at18, and'th eir louterjends bebent to form a'loop 14cm- "bracing the'edge of themouthpiece. this manner; the arms may be jmade to project i .'i- 1 .nPl ihP t wean e distance from the center so as tosuitthe diameter of the mouthpiece to which the devlce is applied. I Arms or prongs-lomaybe bent -1- ear-Wa rdly with equal ease and after the insertion of the capsule or cartridge 16 their tip-endsmay be bent inwardly as shown at'19,so as to reta n the cartrldge orcapsulelniposition 'When; a new capsule is i to be inserted in place jofanold one,-a'rms or prongs can be iorced outwardly'enough' to clearfthe capsule and after the capsule has been replaced they "can bejori'ceiinore forced back into posi- The diaineten'ofithe capsule is relativelywith the normal operation of the telephone.

small and receptacllE'is of the same size, its

diameter being much smaller-than the di-j an'ieter of thebottom partll of the mouthpiece.-z; The sound Waves can therefore reach the diaphragm through perforations 20 provided in bottom 11 practically unhampered mouthpiece.

Thisis very which unduly obstructsthe passage of the diaphragm is bound to seriously'interiere The device can'be removed or'replaced With the utmost ease, theseoperations requir ing but a few seconds ofthe users time.

Being made out of a'singleblank, the device can be 'prodncedat an extremelylow Y price, although it is obvious that if desired,'.

"a blank provided Witharms 13 may be made separately and are riveted" or otherwiseattached the bottomoi the receptacle:

. Other minoirchanges may be made in the construction of' the devicewithout departing from the inventiveidea;

. 5 practice in all those ways and;manners which: may enter, fairly, into the-scopeof the, ap

pended claims; 1

r V Therefore, I reserve thought to carry my invention I nto lclaimz p 1. A device oat-the-class desgrihed consist;

1 .ing of a. spider shaped metal blank having a plurality of ra ially extending a m om f aidiarmsrbeing bent inwardly to orm an 1 arms-beingb at.

' open WO k receptacle adapted t -reta n as p-e I and he-other 'twardly. ..to "form hoo 511. of disinf ctan ma erial,

I mouthpiece;

a plurality of relatively short armsinterposedi therebetween,

important because any device I I posed therebetween,

for insertion in the mouthpiece of a sound transmitting instrument, comprising work receptacle adapted to retain a disinfectant capsule, and a plurality of soft metal arms radiallyextending from said receptacle, said arms being bendable by hand to suit the'depth and diameterofthe mouthpiece 'to Whichthe device is applied.

.. 3..A device of the class described, adapted for' insertion, in the mouthpiece of a sound .transmltting mstrument, comprising an-open depth and-'di ameter-iof the mouthpiece to an open 7 which the device is -applied,'said: receptacle having a diameter "materially smaller-than the diameter ot'fl the bottom part-of said l. A device of the class'described, consisting of" a soi't metal blank comprising a centrahdisc portion, a pluralityof relatively long arms radially extending therefrom, and

v also radially extending therefrom, said short arms being bendable inwardly by hand,to retain acapsule of disinfectant able byhand to suit the. depth and diameter of theinouthpiece to whichthe deviceis applied. 1 5. A device of the class described, consist-: ingot a soft "metal blank comprising a central disc portion, long arms radially extending therefrom, and

a pluralityof relativelyshort arms inter- 7 also radially extending therefrom, said shortwarmsl'being bendable inwardly by hand to form an open work rcceptacle adapted to retain a capsule ofidisdiameter-inaterially smaller than the diameter of the bottom part of theimouthpiece to infectant material, said receptacle having a which the device-is applied, and [said long arms being bendableby hand to suit the depth land diameter of said mouthpiece. I 6,,Aj device of the class described-consisting of. a-so'ft metal spider shaped blankliavinga plurality. of radially extending earms,

some of said arms being bendabie. inwardly-v ']oyhand"toj-form anopen'work receptacleadapted to retain a ca-psuleof disinfectant material, and the other armsbeing alsobendable outwardly by hand, to form hook-shaped membersad-apted retain the device .on. and

RQGA.

. han dmelh ers adapted a:aanaeaence:;- j on; si e position the.sameinr'elatipntnt in nthpiece to.

material, and said-long arms being'also bendby: the device, said sound waves/being freely f admitted throughthe annular passage 21- between the capsule and the innerwall of the a plurality-of relatively g to position the" same injrelati-onto the. mouthpiece to which the dermis applied. 

